Media Coverage

Bioversity International in collaboration with CIFOR, IRAD, IRET and UNIKIS in Cameroon, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo presented findings of the 40-month research project executed in the Congo Basin. The research found out that people living in or around the forest collect caterpillars, oils, fruits, medicines, and trees for construction directly from the concessions. The potential conflicts of the people living in the forest and the concessions are high because the concessions have the legal rights to use the forest.

Unlike many other regions in Indonesia and despite being covered in commodity concessions and viewed by some as becoming a focal point for the Indonesian government’s palm oil development in the country’s eastern half, the provinces of Papua and West Papua have recorded very low deforestation rates. The reasons for this phenomenon are very complex, and threats to the Papua forests are very real, since Indonesia is targeting to produce 40 million tons a year by 2020 — twice the output it recorded in 2010, as stated in a recent working paper published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has released the results of the T20Q online survey and consultation, which aimed to identify the top 20 research questions on forestry and landscapes.
The process revealed that the restoration of degraded ecosystems is the top priority for further research.

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has released an overview of the Forests and Climate Change in the Congo (FCCC) project, which aims to support the efforts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in capacity building and applied research to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, and thereby mitigate climate change.

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) released a report examining data needs for estimating the contribution of charcoal production and consumption to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study focuses on Zambia but notes that charcoal is used for cooking by millions of people across Africa.

“…deforestation leads to impoverishment of both ecosystems and livelihoods in the long term,” said CIFOR in a white paper. Food resources from forests can deliver solutions against micronutrient deficiencies, a condition that has been termed “hidden hunger” by researchers working with indigenous tribes in India.